- On Friday 20 June, seismic company CGG received an "Opportunity to Modify and Resubmit" (OMR) notice from the offshore regulator NOPSEMA.
- The offshore regulator has again delayed a decision on seismic blasting in endangered whale habitat off Victoria, marking the fourth delay in response to sustained public and scientific pressure.
- The proposed blasting threatens the calving grounds of southern right whales and feeding areas of pygmy blue whales, both endangered and highly vulnerable to underwater noise.
- Over 14,000 AMCS supporters, alongside local communities and fishers, opposed the project during public consultation, calling for stronger marine protections.
- This delay is a reprieve, but the threat remains, AMCS urges the Albanese Government to act by declaring a national moratorium on seismic blasting in Australian waters.
The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) has welcomed news that the national offshore regulator NOPSEMA has again delayed its decision on the CGG seismic blasting proposal in endangered whale habitat off Victoria's west coast.
Late on Friday 20 June, CGG confirmed that NOPSEMA had provided the company with an opportunity to modify and resubmit its plans to conduct seismic blasting in key feeding grounds and migration routes of endangered whales.
This marks the fourth delay in a regulatory decision on the proposal. The fact that NOPSEMA has again directed the proponents to revise and resubmit their application signals persistent issues with a project that, if approved, would pose serious risks to marine life in the region.
It follows the withdrawal of a similar seismic blasting proposal by TGS/SLB eight months ago, after repeated delays, multiple revision requests, strong community opposition, and mounting national calls for a moratorium on seismic blasting in Australian waters.
Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) Fossil Fuel Campaign Manager, Louise Morris said, "It is a great relief to know that the southern right whales, making their way to the calving grounds off Warrnambool as we speak, can do it without the immediate threat of seismic blasting in their migration route, and on the border of their calving and nursery area."
"We have been fighting this proposal from the beginning, when CGG proposed seismic blasting for fossil fuel exploration, which was originally more than 3,400 sq km and spanning the waters from Portland to Port Campbell and has been progressively reduced in the face of fierce opposition from the fishing industry and the community. This proposal, through all its iterations, continues to threaten the feeding grounds of endangered pygmy blue whales and the calving grounds of southern right whales. This delay is a reprieve for local communities and marine life, but it still poses a threat, as the offshore regulator has yet to make a decision on whether to approve or reject seismic blasting off the Victorian coast."
"More than 14,200 AMCS supporters opposed this proposal during the public comment period, calling out the harm seismic blasting would cause to marine life. In March of this year, we partnered with local groups for the 'Seismic Shift' event, urging the Albanese Government to declare a national moratorium on seismic blasting and act on the Making Waves Senate Inquiry's recommendations to do more to research the harms this industry is causing."
"This is a welcome reprieve, but just one of many seismic blasting proposals across Australia's oceans - including at fragile Scott Reef off the coast of north west Australia, where the Browse project proposes seismic blasting as part of exploring for gas to drill up to 50 gas wells near pygmy blue whale feeding grounds."
"The Albanese Government now has an opportunity to protect endangered marine life by ending seismic blasting for fossil fuel exploration in Australia's waters. Declaring an urgent moratorium on seismic blasting is a crucial first step in protecting marine life and addressing the climate crisis."
